Eternal Guardians
by SRSK
Summary: Atem and his court find themselves in deep trouble a few months after the battle with Zorc. The Egyptian gods are angry and want Atem out of the way. Who are the mysterious figures in the shadows? Why are the gods helping them? OC x Atem
1. Trouble in the Court

"_Father... when is mother coming back?" She tugged at her father's sleeve gently, holding her cloak tightly around her neck to keep the sand from getting in her clothes._

"_Sweetie, mother is not going to come back. She has passed on to a new life... a new life with Ra in the sky." Her father tried to hold back the tears that welled up at the thought of losing his beloved wife._

"_But Ra will bring her back right? Right?"_

"_No, mother is going to stay with Ra forever now. She is not going to come back."_

"_But mother has to come back! She has to!"_

"_Sakhmet!" Her father's shout startled her, and tears poured down his cheeks, "She is gone! She is dead! Your mother will not come back to life! I want you to go back to the caravan and be with your grandparents. Now!"_

Sakhmet shot up in her bed, completely blind in the darkness. For the past weeks, she had been dreaming of her past. When her mother and father died, and the time she spent with her grandparents and when they died-they all came back. She had tried so hard to forget her past and move forward, but it seemed she couldn't escape it.

How she had longed for her memories to be erased, so she could be rid of the guilt and start anew. And now, they were back to haunt her.

She stood up and pulled on a cloak to keep her warm, for the desert often grew cold at night. She left the room and walked down the hallway toward the main balcony. Maybe a little fresh air would help her.

* * *

><p>The Pharaoh woke suddenly as he heard the soft footsteps pass his room. He stood and opened the great wooden door, peering out. Whoever it was had already turned the corner, but he could not hold in his curiosity. He grabbed his cloak and followed the sounds of the footsteps in the still night as he wrapped the grand fabric around his neck.<p>

As he rounded the corner, the moon was covered by the clouds, casting a shadow over the entire palace. The figure out on the main balcony was obscured in the darkness, so he crept quietly over to their figure. As he neared the silhouette, they spoke up, "I am sorry, my King, did I wake you?"

The clouds parted, and the moonlight shone on Sakhmet's face, illuminating her dark ivory skin.

"It's fine. Why are you awake?" He asked, leaning against the railing casually. She wrapped her cloak around her tighter, stating, "I had a restless night... just memories of the past that I wish not to remember."

"Ones of your family?"

"Sometimes. I have had these dreams for several weeks now, and they vary."

"Maybe it's a sign. We could talk to Isis about it."

After their battle with the Thief King, Bakura, all of the souls that had been lost in the Shadow Realm had returned, including Akhenaden. The Millennium Items had been returned to their owners-even the Puzzle, which was left with the Pharaoh.

Sakhmet ran a hand through her dark purple-nearly black-hair. She sighed, "Well, maybe she will know something. But, Pharaoh... I have this strange feeling that we are not supposed to be here. Do you feel the same way?"

The Pharaoh looked out over the dimly lighted sandy terrain that spread across most of the horizon. He stared at the small craggy mountains that were on the left, leading to the Valley of the Kings, that were completely dark silhouettes against the navy blue sky. He stated calmly, "I do. I also feel like I have forgotten something very important."

"Forgotten something? Like what?"

"Like... Like there's a big section of my memory that just vanished. And I _know_ it was important too... but I can't recall any of it."

"Maybe Isis will know that too."

"Maybe... Anyway, we should be in bed. It must be nearly dawn."

"I agree."

They walked together back down the corridor in silence, departing from each other once the young Pharaoh reached his chambers. But before he entered the threshold, he called to the priestess, "Remember, no title. I just want you to call me by my name. Good night, Sakhmet."

She paused and waited for him to enter his room, smiling slightly, "Of course. Good night, Atem."

He shut the wooden door behind him and discarded his cloak on the floor. The fact that Sakhmet had also felt uneasy about being here was reassuring-he didn't want to be the only one who felt restless. He climbed back into his grand bed and pulled the covers over his head, hoping to get a good night's sleep before he was to wake in the morning.

The Pharaoh slept fitfully, his dreams full of darkness and thoughts unknown. Flashes of two shadowy figures, the three Egyptian gods, three people-two women and one man-that had the heads of three different animals, and a tunnel underneath one of the priests' pyramids. He didn't understand. What were his dreams showing him? Were these visions of the future? Or are they visions of the past before his father? He himself was unable to answer these questions; however, his court might be able to.

* * *

><p>Sakhmet slipped into the bed hesitantly. She hoped that she would be able to sleep well. But her wish was not granted, and a dream from the past crept into her mind.<p>

_She ran down the dank and dusty tunnel, holding the torch high above her head. It was so hard to see what lay ahead, and she had no idea what traps were left for her to pass through. Taking two nervous steps forward, Sakhmet inched down the entrance tunnel of the tomb of the Pharaoh Horus Nynetjer, where it was said that no one had touched the burial place since the king was sent to the afterlife. It was one of the most dangerous too, and she was sure to spring some traps._

_She reached the end, and made it to the entrance of the first chamber. It was covered from the floor to the great ceiling above in hieroglyphics, all in perfect condition due to the lack of outside air in centuries, with four pillars. The coast was clear; however, Sakhmet knew better than that. There were traps hidden in the floors, ceilings, anywhere. Always._

_She took a few more steps, the place so quiet that you could hear her soft cloth sandals against the stone. After almost reaching the center with no trouble, a low growl thundered from beyond the next doorway. The whole tomb shook rhythmically as whatever was lurking in the darkness grew closer. She froze, and watched as a huge dragon stuck his head through the narrow passage, trying to wriggle through. It roared, causing a chunk of the stone in the top left pillar to crumble away._

"_A-An ancient dragon! It must be here to protect the Pharaoh!" she cowered from its great red plated head as it snapped forward. Two hooks grabbed either side of the passageway as it tried to pull itself out with its leathery wings._

_It roared and lashed forward, its sharp teeth glistening in the light of her torch, but when she dropped it, everything went black, and the only thing left to hear was a bloodcurdling roar._

Sakhmet jolted upright, her brow covered in sweat. Her tomb raider memories were the worst. How she hated herself for her previous misdeeds, especially since now she actually served under the Pharaoh himself.

There was no way she could sleep now, so she rose and dressed herself. She wore a white tunic, a gold necklace inlaid with ivory, gold cuffs that covered nearly half of each of her forearms, gold earrings, cloth sandals, and a thin gold ring, with the same eye symbol as that of the Millennium Items, that sat upon her head. She brushed her hair and wound the long strands into a tight braid that ended around the back of her knees before draping the sheets over the bed.

She washed her face before walking outside to the waking sun and said a quick prayer to Ra, whom they believed to be reborn every morning. She sauntered down the hall sleepily until she reached the atrium to the left of the great hall. At first it seemed that she was the only one awake at such an early hour, but that idea quickly vanished when a servant entered the room and asked if Sakhmet wished to eat something.

"No, no, there is no such need for you to wait on me. Just because I am a priestess, that does not mean that I should let you do all the work for me."

"But-"

"No buts. Now, please be off with whatever it was you were working on. I need not bother you."

The servant nodded and trotted off quietly, obviously grateful that she didn't have to add some other chore to her list. Sakhmet sighed, sitting down on one of lounge chairs; but before she had time to settle in, Atem walked into the room, yawning. He crashed down on the couch across from her and asked, "Did you get any sleep?"

"No. You?"

"No. That would explain why we both got up so early."

She fidgeted with the end of her braid, tapping the gold clamp that held her hair tightly. Atem attempted to get her to speak again, "So, how come you didn't get any sleep? Those dreams again?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Atem. I must go and read the scriptures for the day."

"O-Oh, right," he watched her stand up and bow; but before she left, she asked, "Would you like to join me?"

He shook his head, "No thanks."

"Alright. But, Atem, you should start reading the scriptures at least once in a while. After all, you are considered a god yourself by your people." With that, she disappeared through the door that lead to the 'hallway of the gods'-the corridor that was covered from floor to ceiling in hieroglyphics that told of the gods and what they had done in the past.

She never did tell him entirely what she was thinking. If anything, she'd merely answer because of his status as pharaoh. But if she didn't want to tell him anything, then he wasn't going to force her.

Atem stood and left the room, taking the stairs down to the grand hall. He was just going to have to wait until everyone woke up before discussing the dreams with his court. And since Sakhmet was busy reading the scriptures, there was no one else to really talk to.

It was strange not having her around, since she was _always_ nearby. After all, she was the priestess assigned to protect him ever since Mahad became an official part of his court. He seemed vulnerable, knowing that there wasn't anyone that could protect him at the moment; however, he knew that he could protect himself. It was merely that he felt... lonely. No courtiers, no bodyguards, no noblemen, and there wasn't even a servant around. He was completely alone in that grand hall.

His footsteps echoed off the high stone walls as he approached his throne. The plush cushion didn't really help against the hard stone. Atem sighed and lounged in the uncomfortable chair. He didn't really know what to do with himself. There was no one to entertain him, there wasn't anyone to talk to, so... what was he supposed to do?

A large bang thundered from outside, so loud that it even caused some dust from the ceiling to fall. It caught the Pharaoh's attention, but before he even had time to wonder what it was, more and more could be heard, and a young servant rushed into the room. She collapsed at the stairs to his throne and she squeaked, "My king, the kingdom-the gods-they're-they're..."

He stood up, urging her to continue, "They're what? Out with it! What's happening to the city!"

"The gods themselves are destroying everything and they're... they're demanding to see you, my Pharaoh," she whispered, terrified. Atem nodded and strode to the stairs, climbed them, and walked straight out to the main balcony.

What he saw before him was devastating. All of the houses that had been rebuilt after the previous attack by Bakura were destroyed. The gates to his palace were torn apart, fire spread across the city, and in the distance, he could see the ruins of Kul Elna on fire as well. His kingdom was being laid to waste by two figures in the distance, but another figure shot up in front of him, blocking his view. In his face was a man with head of a hawk looking menacingly at him: the god Horus.

He said nothing, but held up a Pharaoh's crook and Atem felt as if something had grabbed him by the shoulders, picking him up and dragging him into the air. The god opened his mouth and shrieked, a piercing sound that could be heard for miles.

"Atem! Atem!"

He heard his name from the balcony, and he turned his head as much as he could to see who it was. Sakhmet was standing on the balcony, wide-eyed with fear. It was her job to protect the pharaoh, and yet there was nothing she could do.

"Sakhmet, something's wrong with the gods!"

She nodded, "Please, great Horus! Why is it you terrorize our kingdom? Have we done something to upset you or Ra?"

The god simply ignored her while he raised the crook again, and Atem yelled while a bright light enveloped all of them. When the light faded, Atem and Horus were gone, with Sakhmet left behind.

A horde of footsteps echoed behind her, and she turned to see all of the priests, gasping for breath. Priest Seto stepped forward, commanding, "Sakhmet, what happened to the Pharaoh?"

"I-I..."

"Well?"

"The-The gods, they-"

Seto grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, "Where. Is. The. Pharaoh!"

"Horus took him!" She blurted out, and everything went silent. Priestess Isis stepped forward, "You mean... the gods themselves really have come down to pass judgment?"

"I saw it. I was right here. A man with the head of a hawk. He even held the Pharaoh's crook. Somehow, he had gotten Pharaoh and-"

"If you were right there, then why didn't you stop him!"

"How am I supposed to stop a god! And Pharaoh... Pharaoh was out there. In midair. There was no way for me to reach him! You expect me to do something that is impossible!"

Priest Mahad quickly stepped between the two, pushing Seto back towards the rest of the priests, "That's enough you two! Standing here arguing is not going to find the Pharaoh now! I suggest we split up and take care of this mess first!" He waved his hand toward the scene behind him, "Our kingdom is being destroyed, thousands are dying! Can we do nothing without the Pharaoh!"

"Mahad is right. We should take care of this as well. Half of us should look for the Pharaoh," Isis agreed.

"Isis, Akhenaden, Shada, and Karim, you four should go find the Pharaoh. Seto, Sakhmet, and I will stay here," Mahad said.

Sakhmet objected, "No, I want to go look for the Pharaoh."

"You've done enough-" Seto began, but Mahad cut him off, "We need your Ancient Dragon. Will you please stay and help us? They will bring the Pharaoh home safely."

She thought about it, and then quietly muttered, "Fine. As long as Seto apologizes, then I will not make a fuss."

"What! What kind of deal is that-" Seto exclaimed, but Mahad cut him off once again, "He will. Thank you, Sakhmet," he turned to Seto, "Well?"

"There is no way I'm apologizing to someone who let the tyrants capture the Pharaoh," he folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Sakhmet. She shrugged, "Alright, then have fun fighting without me. I will go look for the Pharaoh myself. Guess my Ancient Dragon will be of no use to y-"

"Okay, okay!" He sighed and muttered, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

He grimaced, "For accusing you of being a worthless bodyguard."

"Oh, you thought I was worthless, did you?"

"That's right, you tomb raider!"

"We don't need you two in another fight. C'mon, both of you. We must prepare for battle, even if it means fighting the gods themselves."

Sakhmet and Seto both growled, but they didn't continue fighting. Mahad stepped forward and passed through the small crowd of priests, beckoning for Sakhmet and Seto to follow.

"Take care you three," Isis did a small bow, "May the gods have favor on your victory."

"If only the gods weren't the ones we are about to fight."

* * *

><p>Atem sat up slowly, his head spinning. He was surrounded by trees, and he could hear the sound of running water. The thought of something to drink made his already parched throat even drier. The urge to have something down his throat was greater than the pain he was in, so he clambered to his feet and trudged down through the trees. There in front of him, was the great Nile river, so far the best sight he had ever seen in a long time.<p>

He slid down the muddy banks and crashed into the water, but when he tried to take a huge gulp of water, he got a mouthful of sand. The image of the Nile and the paradise that surrounded it disappeared, and he was left in the sandy desert under the heat of the sun-still without water.

Atem groaned, his throat becoming more and more irritated by the second, as he flipped onto his back. It was blistering hot now that the sun had risen at it's full peak. Due to it's position, it was likely he had been lying there for several hours. He had no idea where he was and he could barely remember how he had gotten there. There was nothing he could do. With no water and no food, he was surely done for, unless by some miracle those in charge of his safety found him before he die of dehydration or heatstroke.

"Why couldn't humans be born with the ability to drink sand?" He asked himself, completely at a loss, "Or at least teleport to somewhere with water?"

He closed his eyes, picturing himself in one of the ponds in the palace's gardens, or in the Nile. How he wished that he was dreaming, still lying safely in his bed with Sakhmet down the hall to protect him.


	2. The Chaos Ensues

After they had searched every corner in the city, the priests took off on their horses, splitting into two groups. Isis and Karim took the north, while Akhenaden and Shada took to the east. They released their shadow monsters, so that they could search as well.

Meanwhile, back in the city, Sakhmet, Seto, and Mahad were already fighting against the gods. The gods used their own shadow creatures, ones more powerful than the priests'. Sakhmet's Chimera the Mythical Beast held up pretty well; but Mahad and Seto were forced to bring out some of their strongest creatures.

"Come, Dark Magician!" Mahad yelled, and the mage appeared, blocking an attack from the Blackwing Armor Master. Seto held out his hand, "Blue Eyes White Dragon! Come forth!" The huge white beast roared and bit in half Silverwind the Ascendent. It disappeared, screaming.

"Mahad! Look out!" Sakhmet shouted, alerting her friend to the swing of Darklord Zerato's sword. He quickly turned around, his Dark Magician too slow to reach him; but Seto's Blue Eyes quickly took care of the monster, having more attack points than it. Mahad nodded in thanks, while Sakhmet used her Chimera to take out one more of the monsters attacking the city. She descended to Mahad's side, Seto joining them.

"This is ridiculous! How many more of them are there!" She screamed in frustration. Seto grimaced while Mahad looked up to the sky, where the two figures behind all of the damage were.

"If only we could reach them. But they just keep summoning more shadow creatures left and right," Seto put into words what Mahad was thinking.

"We could easily fly up there if there were not as many monsters around. And who knows? They could easily summon much more powerful monsters... stronger than your Blue Eyes, Seto," Sakhmet pondered, trying to imagine a stronger monster other than the three Egyptian god monsters.

Their three monsters were still fighting the ten monsters controlled by the gods. All of them were level six monsters or higher, which gave the three priests quite a challenge. If they didn't think of something soon, the city didn't stand a chance.

"Okay, I think I may have a plan-" Seto began, but Sakhmet interrupted him, "Listen, no one wants to hear your stupid-" Mahad interrupted _her_, "Sakhmet, let him continue."

"Fine," she grumbled.

"As I was saying, I may have a plan that could work. Sakhmet, you're going to have to summon the strongest monsters you have. Same with you Mahad. I know that it will take a lot out of both of you, but if you keep the monsters controlled by the gods busy, then I can slip through and take them out with my Blue Eyes."

They both stared at him for some time before before Sakhmet snickered, "Trying to be the hero? Is it because you think the Pharaoh might like you better if you save his city? Or is it just a pride thing?"

He growled, "Like you have a better plan?"

"Well... no, not exactly. But both Mahad and I have stronger monsters than your Blue Eyes, so why use yours?"

"Because of that very reason. If your stronger monsters take out the monsters already out there, then it will give my Blue Eyes a chance to get past them."

"But I am sure that the gods will be able to handle your Blue Eyes. My Sorcerer of Dark Magic is stronger than it."

"Sakhmet..." Mahad put his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head, "This is not the time. His plan is our only hope. Let's go along with it for the time being."

She scowled and glanced at Seto, threatening, "Fine. But when this is over and we are exhausted because of how much we expanded our ba, he is going to wish he had not thought of this plan..." She shrugged Mahad's hand off her shoulder and held out her duel disk. Three more of the slots filled as she yelled, "I summon Sorcerer of Black Magic, Divine Grace-Northwemko, and Ancient Dragon!"

The three monsters appeared in flashes of light, surrounding their master. Mahad held up his duel disk as well, with four more slots filling up.

"I summon Ancient Flamvell Deity, Blizzard Princess, Dark End Dragon, and Dark Horus!" He shouted as the four creatures appeared next to Sakhmet's, "Now, Dark Horus and Blizzard Princess, attack their Blackwing Armor Master and their Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!" They did as they were commanded and attacked, while Sakhmet shouted, "Northwemko! Attack their Chakra!" The sorceress raised her staff and a piercing ray of light shone on the fiend.

She made her Sorcerer of Black Magic and Ancient Dragon attack two other creatures while Mahad used Ancient Flamvell Deity and Dark End Dragon to attack three more. Seto commanded his Blue Eyes to fly through the opening up to the the gods, but once the white dragon reached the deities, they disappeared.

"What? They're gone!" Seto shouted in surprise, getting the attention of Sakhmet and Mahad.

"What did you say...?" Sakhmet looked up to the opening to see exactly what he had said, "No way... where did they go?" She scoured the sky, looking for them, but all three of them spun around when the heard two women laughing behind them.

Standing there were the two gods, a woman with the head of a lion and a woman with the head of a cow. The three priests recognized them immediately.

"Hathor!" Seto shouted while Sakhmet backed down slightly, "S-Sekhmet?"

"You cannot beat the gods. Don't you know that?" The lion-headed woman sneered.

"We can try," her namesake growled, "because if you threaten the Pharaoh, you threaten us."

"As if. That boy you call Pharaoh will soon no longer have that title. It's about time that a new dynasty came into play."

"Atem will finish this dynasty! You can change the dynasty after he is dead. Do not expect us to back down just because you say you need a change in the government."

"How are you supposed to protect your Pharaoh if you don't even have a clue of where he is? Horus has probably taken care of him already. Your kingdom, your home, everything will fall! Without a king, this land has nothing!" She cackled and raised her hand, "Hathor, let us rid the world of these pathetic humans!"

Her associate shook her head, "That is not what we were ordered to do. You're getting carried away again."

"Who cares? I'll do what I want! Forget what he told us! If I wanna kill, I'll kill!"

Sakhmet cut in, "I know that you are the warrior goddess, but... you are also known as the protector of the Pharaoh! So why do you seek to kill him!"

The goddess glanced at her sideways, "You are Sakhmet, daughter of Thoth. You are my human namesake, yet you show no sign of bloodlust... you are not fit to be my counterpart."

"The name does not always make the person; however, I do have one close attribute to you. I am the protector of the Pharaoh, yet I am ashamed to say I failed."

"Failed? You should be proud! You're helping your new dynasty come alive!"

"And who is this new king?" Seto asked.

Sekhmet began, "He is-" but Hathor interrupted her, "You have no reason to know."

"Oh?" Mahad, "And why not?"

"He has not allowed us to-" she was cut off as a huge fireball erupted between the two sides. The fire continued to burn the stone houses and palm trees around them, alighting more and more of the city. The blast knocked back Sakhmet, Seto, and Mahad, but they quickly regained themselves as they heard a loud voice cry out, "Sekhmet! Hathor! He wants us back!"

Through the smoke, the priests saw a man with the head of a hawk: Horus. Now all three of the gods were together.

"Why!" Sekhmet shouted, upset that she was not allowed to kill her enemies in front of her.

"He did not explain! Do not question his authority. Let us go back!" Horus shouted again, disappearing. Hathor nodded and grabbed Sekhmet's wrist, "Let us _go_."

The fiery goddess glowered, her lips forming into a snarl, but she did not fight the other goddess. She too disappeared with Hathor, and so the beasts they had conjured faded away as well.

Seto stared at the spot in the smoke he had seen Horus, his brain already planning what to do next.

"Alright, Sakhmet, you go and make sure the people here are safe! Mahad, you try to stop this fire!"

"And what, pray, are you going to do?" Sakhmet asked, annoyed that he was once again giving orders.

"I will help you get everyone out after I talk to the soldiers. They should be able to help as well."

"Good, glad to see you are not just making us do the dirty work like you usually do," she sneered. Seto grimaced, "As much as I'd like to argue, this isn't the time."

"Oh, Priest Seto is being mature all of a sudden? That is something new."

"Like you're one to talk."

"So you _do_ want to argue. I knew you could not resist."

Mahad looked up to the sky and groaned, "Can we discuss this later? There might be people who need our help."

"Alright, alright, I will get going," Sakhmet rolled her eyes and hopped onto her Ancient Dragon. She called back the rest of her shadow creatures before flying over to one of the area's in need of the most help.

* * *

><p>Atem opened his eyes slowly, squinting from the light of the sun as it set. He had been there for several hours, just roasting in the heat. How he hated himself for not thinking to put on his diadankh that morning so he could summon one of his monsters and get them to take him back home. That was certainly stupid of him.<p>

He had decided he was going to try to find his way back home at night, when the desert cooled off. The surrounding cliffs kept him isolated from the sight of his city, and even though they would be even more treacherous in the dark, he wouldn't be able to bear the sun while traveling.

He sat up and immediately felt a wave of nausea creep up on him. His stomach felt awful, as he had not eaten that entire day. But despite the ache, he got to his feet as the sun lowered itself behind the sandy hills in the horizon, leaving the Pharaoh shrouded in darkness.

It took quite some effort for him to walk, but who knew when someone was going to find him? It was best if he at least attempted to get somewhere, near _any_ civilization. Surely he could find some landmark to tell him the direction of home. Maybe a star, after all, Atem had been taught astronomy as a child.

But the stars looked unfamiliar, so he continued to wander the desert without a clue of where he was. After a short while though, he began to grow tired, and his throat grew even drier-something he thought wasn't even possible. He had barely any energy to even strand, let alone traverse cliffs and sandy hills. He was determined though. He was going to go as far as he could with what little energy he possessed.

An hour or so passed, and the Pharaoh finally reached the brink of the cliffs. What lay ahead of him was an ocean of sand. No city. No civilization. No Nile River. Just his luck. And of course, he had reached his limit. The young man collapsed onto the sand face first once again, and let sleep take him.

"_Atem? Atem? My son, where are you?"_

_The prince sat up from beneath the tree and stretched, responding to his father's call, "Yes, father?"_

_King Aknamkanon beckoned his son to his side, and the fourteen year old did as he was told, catching a glimpse of the stranger behind his father._

"_My son, I have someone here that I want you to meet." His father motioned to the stranger behind him, and a young girl stepped out for him to see. She had dark purple hair that was held back in a loose braid all the way down to the backs of her knees, a creme tunic held tight around her waist by a gold belt, not quite unlike his own, and fiery red eyes that bore the secrets of her past. Another object caught the young man's eye: a diadankh was strapped to her arm. Was she another guardian?_

"_This is Sakhmet, a priestess in training. She will be replacing Mahad as your protector now that Mahad has become a guardian."_

"_She's... replacing Mahad?"_

"_Go on and introduce yourself. I must go inside and meet with the guardians. You two get to know each other." Aknamkanon patted his son on the head and then walked back inside._

_Atem looked at Sakhmet met warily. She gave off a cold aura. Almost like she _hated_ him._

"_Hello. I'm Prince Atem. It's nice to meet my new guardian," he held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. She stared at it blankly and didn't say anything. He tried again, "You're Sakhmet? I've never seen you around here. You lived in the city right?"_

_She mumbled, "I have lived in a lot of places."_

"_Oh. I see... like where?"_

"_That is none of your business," she snapped, looking off at the pond by one of the garden walls. Atem was taken aback. Why was she so mean? He was just doing as his father had told him. He frowned, "What is your problem?"_

"_My problem is that I am stuck babysitting a royal brat against my will."_

"_What?" His temper flared, "What did you just call me!"_

"_You heard me. Now, leave me alone. Go do whatever it is you normally do. Just because I'm watching over you does not mean I have to talk to you."_

_The prince gritted his teeth, furious at this new girl. Who did she think she was! She was the most irritating girl he had ever met!_

"_Okay then, fine! I was trying to be nice but you just had to spit in my face about it. You can go back to wherever it is you came from, because I don't want you here."_

"_I wish I could!"_

* * *

><p>"Hello! Is anyone in there! I am here to help you! Please, tell me where you are!" Sakhmet called, ducking underneath a burning archway. Someone screamed from inside, so she carefully maneuvered her way farther into the building. When she rounded a corner, she saw two huddled figures amidst the flames: a mother and her child.<p>

"Hello! Please follow me! I can get you out of here!"

They looked up and saw the priestess, quickly gathering themselves and dodging burning rubble.

"This way!" She shouted, grabbing the wrist of the mother. she guided them back through, but some of the stones caved and blocked their exit.

Sakhmet quickly looked around, searching desperately for another exit. With no other way out, and the flames growing higher and smoke entering their lungs, Sakhmet raised her hand, "Sorcerer of Black Magic, come to our aid, I beseech thee!"

The mage appeared, and his master commanded, "Find us another way out!" He nodded and flew around, disappearing through walls of fire. After what felt like an eternity, he came back, motioning for them to follow.

"Come on," Sakhmet pulled them in the direction of her shadow creature. After dodging flaming stone and wood, they could see the open air beyond. Sakhmet ordered her Sorcerer to take the mother and son first, to ensure their safety. But as they escaped, with Sakhmet right behind them, the foundation crumbled, closing down on Sakhmet's right hand. She screamed in pain as the debris crushed her hand and the flame ate at her skin, climbing her tunic sleeve.

The Sorcerer raised his staff and aimed it at his master's entrapment. A blast of energy broke away the stone and he pulled her away from the inferno. The woman she had helped took off her cloak and wrapped it around her savior's arm, suffocating the fire.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! How can we ever repay you?" The woman cried, holding her son close. The little boy was whimpering, the initial shock of the fire fading away.

"No need-argh-to thank... me," Sakhmet muttered through gritted teeth, trying to bear the pain of her throbbing and stinging arm. There was nothing her Sorcerer could do either. He used dark magic, not ice or water.

"But there must be something we can do to-" The woman pleaded, but Sakhmet shook her head, "There might be others, so I must be off. Please, just get out of here and to somewhere safe."

"Sakhmet!"

She looked up in the direction of the voice, and up in the sky was Seto on his Blue Eyes.

"Seto!"

He landed and motioned for the woman and the boy, "They should come with me. We are guiding all the citizens to the palace courtyard. They should be safe there."

"Alright," she nodded. The little boy wouldn't budge, much to his mother's dismay. He looked at the shadow creature in horror, muttering, "Mama... that's a... that's a big dragon..."

"It's alright, sweetie. This nice man will take us to safety. But in order to do that, we must get on his dragon."

Sakhmet snorted at the woman calling Seto a 'nice man'. She could feel Seto glaring at her, but she tried to ignore him.

"B-But..."

"Please? Don't you want to see Daddy again?"

The little boy nodded his head vigorously, wiping his nose and sniffling. The mother smiled, "Then let's go." She took her son's hand and led him to Blue Eyes, where Seto helped the little boy up as well as the mother. He glanced at Sakhmet, "What happened to you?"

"Aw, does Seto actually care about me?" She asked sarcastically. Seto rolled his eyes, "Fine then, forget I asked."

"If you would like to know, my right hand was crushed and burned from being caught in some falling stones while getting these two out," She took the woman's cloak at tossed it to her, "Thank you, but I do not need it."

Sakhmet looked down at her arm for the first time and saw the inflamed raw skin. Her hand looked a little deformed as well, and she assumed it was broken, but she tried not to make too much of a fuss about it in front of Seto.

"You had better go. I will search for any others that might still be trapped."

"I don't need you telling me what to do."

Sakhmet rolled her eyes and waved her left hand as she walked away, "Goodbye."

The little boy waved heartily back, "Thank you lady!"

Sakhmet couldn't help but smile. The little boy was so adorable. She was happy he was safe.

The priestess beckoned her Sorcerer to follow as she searched the rest of the burning buildings for any stray citizens.


	3. Stress is Heavy

"What do you mean you didn't find him!" Seto demanded. Karim sighed, "Exactly what we said. We searched practically the entire surrounding desert and cliffs, but there was no sign of him."

Seto gritted his teeth, "Where the heck is he! Where could the gods have taken him!"

"Your question is rhetorical, and the answer is that he could be anywhere. We might only be able to find him when the gods allow us to," Isis said, taking off her headdress to brush the sand and dust off. All four of the guardians that had gone to search where covered in dirt, making them much paler in comparison with their normal skin tone.

Sakhmet joined them within the throne room and asked, "Is the Pharaoh...?" upon seeing the other priests. They shook their heads and Sakhmet sighed, rubbing her right arm, which was now wrapped in bandages along with her left arm.

"You certainly look like you have been through a great deal," she said, indicating their haggard appearances.

"There was a sandstorm during the middle of the night," Akhenaden said with a slight sigh. Sakhmet nodded, "I see... wait, does that mean that the Pharaoh could have possibly been caught in that same storm?"

"Indeed, it is a possibility."

"Well, is that not just lovely?" She said irritably. She was in a bad enough mood already. Her arm was in agony, she had not slept in over twenty-four hours, it was around three in the morning, and there was no sign of the Pharaoh.

"We must keep our spirits up. Without the Pharaoh here, we must serve as the public's morale. We must not let the gods stir unrest," Mahad said.

"What I want to know is why the gods suddenly decided to deal with human affairs. I mean, they have never interfered with the other dynasties. If a new dynasty was supposed to rule, then they would just sit back until the present dynasty ended," Sakhmet said, shaking her sleeve farther over her wrapped arm to hide it.

"Well, there are a lot about the gods that we don't know."

"We could always ask."

"Sure, like they're going to tell us everything about them. They're not stupid," Seto said flatly. Sakhmet sighed, "Okay, then well, we have another problem. What about the Hyksos? What if they find the Pharaoh? Then what will we do? They will want to invade Egypt again if we allow them the chance."

"The Hyksos? But... weren't they wiped out by King Aknamkanon? That's what we were told," Seto said, gesturing to Akhenaden.

"Yes, well, Bakura was the last one, and he is now dead. The Hyksos should be extinct."

"Then we should have no problem," Seto said, then he turned to Sakhmet and sneered, "How come you didn't know about the Hyksos, Sakhmet?"

She grimaced, "I did not get the news. I was most likely guarding Atem at the time."

"Which I'm surprised that he's made it this far. It's a miracle he isn't dead."

"You want to go at this again! You are impossible! You just cannot let go of one of my mistakes, can you!" She raised her voice, feeling her blood boil at his remark.

"It was the gravest mistake of your life! Our king could die and it's your fault!" Seto yelled.

"I understand that, but as I have said before several times, you need to let it go and move on! We need to think about our next move! I am sick of your attitude toward me and I am sick of you! So just shut up and back off, Seto!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, making her head hurt. She spun around to leave when Mahad placed a hand on her shoulder, "Wait, where are you going?"

She shrugged his hand off and said bitterly, "I am going to the Temple of Ma'at. You guys can come up with a plan. After all, as you guys have said before, you are better at coming up with plans than me and I am usually never included in the process anyway since I am not an _official_ guardian."

She disappeared around the corner near the huge doorway of the grand hall. Mahad sighed and then glanced back at Seto, his eyes shooting daggers; however, the other priest merely folded his arms and said, "She was asking for it."

Mahad suddenly grabbed Seto by the neck of his shirt and said icily, "Leave Sakhmet alone."

"Tell her to leave me alone."

"What are you, five! Go and fix this yourself! Why do you have to be such a jerk to her? I'm not even part of your fight and yet I'm just as sick of your attitude as Sakhmet is! Sure she messed up, but you don't have to keep going on about it! I'm surprised she hasn't done anything to you yet! She's been dealing with this attitude of yours for three years!"

"She's the one with the problem! If you haven't noticed, she fights back too!"

"Please you two, sto-" Isis tried to intervene, but Mahad interrupted her, "She might actually like you if you apologize about the _first_ thing you ever said to her! Have you forgotten that you've been rotten toward her since the first time you two met!"

He released Seto and spun around, heading for the hallway Sakhmet met had gone down. Shada asked, "Mahad, where are you going? We need to think of a plan!"

"I'm going to go find Sakhmet."

"But-"

"Shada, I'm _going_."

The rest of the priests sighed and Isis took off her headdress, shaking the rest of the dust off as much as she could, "Things are falling apart, slowly but surely."

"Who knew that our kingdom could be so shaken just because the Pharaoh is missing for a day?"

"Hmph, well maybe we wouldn't have this problem if we had a single person in charge," Seto suggested, "We should vote on one. I vote myself of course."

Karim shook his head, "I vote Mahad."

Isis nodded, "As do I."

"Same here," Shada said. Akhenaden spoke up, "Well, I suppose I vote for Seto."

Shada smirked, "We know who's going to win."

Seto frowned, "Oh really? And who's that?"

"Mahad of course. There's no way Sakhmet is going to vote for you, and it's already three against two. We might as well appoint Mahad as the leader right now."

"This vote isn't over."

"It is, so you should just let it go. Now, let us continue. What are we going to do? We must come up with a plan."

"Agreed."

* * *

><p>"Sakhmet? Sakhmet?" Mahad called out, hoping he wasn't too far behind her; however, the priestess had already mounted her horse, Nedjem, and was riding off to the temple located farther out in the city. The priest ran hopelessly after her, but didn't give it much effort. He quickly called up one of the servants and demanded his horse, Panhsj, before Sakhmet could get too far.<p>

"Pyrh, pyrh*!" He spurred Panhsj on and chased after Sakhmet, trying to catch her before she disappeared through the streets of the city. But it was too late. The only way to find her was to go straight to the temple.

He caught some strange looks on the citizens' faces when he dashed by on his grey Arabian horse, as horses weren't common for the actual residents, but he didn't take it to mind. It wasn't unusual to have people look at him or the rest of the guardians a strange way. The public didn't really know what they did, so there was a lot of mystery surrounding them.

He reached the temple in almost no time at all, though the streets were a bit crowded here and there. Nedjem was being held by a servant, so there was no doubt that Sakhmet had gone inside. Mahad handed the servant Panhsj as well and entered the relatively large stone structure that served as the temple.

"Sakhmet? Sakhmet?" He called again, his voice echoing down the chambers that were etched with hieroglyphs. The main hall wasn't crowded at all; there were little more than three people. One of them was Sakhmet, lying prostrate in front of the great altar of Ma'at.

"Sakhmet, there you are. Come on, we ought to get back. Seto's going to be much nicer to you now," Mahad said, kneeling next to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. He could hear her whispering words underneath her breath. He tried again, "Sakhmet, let's _go._"

She sat up to kneel and glared at him, "You are breaking my concentration. You of all people should understand the feelings we have for the gods. You would think you would let me talk with Ma'at properly."

"I know you're mad with Seto, but you have to come back. What if we decide we were going to send you off to go find the Pharaoh? Then what? You wouldn't be there and you would have lost your chance. You would have been stuck in the palace again, and I know you hate that."

"I am already in pain. Maybe staying in the palace is good for me."

Mahad raised an eyebrow, "Have I found the wrong person? I'm sorry, I must have thought you were someone else."

Sakhmet flicked his headdress up with a quick snap of her hand, "Mahad, do me a favor, and shut up. All I am saying is that maybe Seto is right. Maybe it is my fault. I screwed up. I should have been watching him more. That should be me out there, not him."

"It still doesn't sound like you. I'm talking to the same person who had enough self-esteem to call the Pharaoh a royal brat when you first got here. You didn't care what anyone thought of you then."

"I have grown soft since I got here. The whole palace, the whole _idea_ of living in the city and not in the rugged backcountry towns like I used to has made me soft. I no longer face danger with every moment of my job. I no longer have to use my skills to stay alive. Even my way of speaking is different. Everything is so different here, so much more, uh... what is the word? Plush? That would probably best describe it."

"Are you saying you would rather go back to being a tomb raider? When you are the Pharaoh's personal guardian, your transgressions against the kingdom are forgiven. If you went back and were caught, we would have no choice but to put you to death."

"Danger was my life. I have been doing these things since I was very young. I have very many allies. If I go back, they will help me."

"You would rather spend your life doing awful things than helping the very kingdom you are a part of?"

"..." Sakhmet clamped her mouth shut and stared up at the altar for a little while before saying, "I do not know anymore. I cannot tell what I feel for more, whether I am happier tomb raiding or happier protecting the Pharaoh."

"You'll figure it out with a little more time."

"Sure. Well, let's go. I cannot have you missing the meeting as well."

"Thank you, Sakhmet."

"No, Mahad, thank you."

* * *

><p>How many days had it been? He had lost track. He was surprised he even had the energy to stay conscious, let alone move. He was going to die out here; he knew it, he had swallowed the fact days ago.<p>

A soft thud caught his attention, and he stretched his head back, his vision upside down. Horus was back, and this time, he brought friends. Giant black dogs, seven in all, stood obediently behind him. Atem flipped over and got to his knees growing dizzy from hunger and dehydration.

The god opened his beak, and a deep masculine voice came out saying, "Pharaoh Atem, son of Aknamkanon, you have been called for judgment. It is time for a new dynasty to take the throne."

"J-Judgment? But I have done nothing to upset the gods, have I?" His voice was weak and hoarse.

The dogs growled, but Horus held up his hand to silence them. He then held out his hand, and his palm filled with water. It dripped down to the sand below, but when Atem tried to touch the water, it passed through his palm.

"If you want water, no, if you want to go home, then you will promise to decline your right to the throne and step down when you return."

"What?" Atem was appalled. Step down? Then who would take the throne? But if he didn't agree, then he would die, and if he did, whoever Horus had planned to take the throne will take it anyway. It was between living or dying.

"Well Pharaoh? What is your answer?"

"I... I pr-"

"Pharaoh!" Voices cried out to him from behind. He spun around and saw two figures on horses charging toward them: Sakhmet and Mahad.

Atem glanced back at Horus before sprinting toward the two priests. Horus yelled a command, but it was lost in the sound of the dogs barking madly and chasing after the Pharaoh. Sakhmet sped her horse up, and cut many of the dogs off, the horse rearing and pawing the air, stamping the ground in front of the dogs' faces. They backed down, scared of the huge beast and its rider.

Mahad stopped and helped the Pharaoh onto the horse, where he collapsed, leaning on the priest. Sakhmet was still trying to scare the dogs off, so they would keep from attacking Mahad and Atem. She stared intently at Horus, her eyes filled with rage.

"You are not Horus! You are just a cheap copy! Whoever is commanding you to act like him has his heart in the wrong place. Stop listening to him!"

"Silence mortal! You do not understand the wishes of Amun!" The god screamed, ordering the dogs once again to attack. They refused, scared that the horses would kill them. Horus grimaced, wanting to attack them, but with his dogs terrified and the Pharaoh out of his grasp, he simply left, still furious. He vanished in a flash of light, while his dogs faded away, leaving Sakhmet, Mahad, and Atem alone in the blazing desert.

"Atem! Atem! Are you okay?" Sakhmet trotted her horse over to Mahad, but she didn't receive a response from the king.

"He is unconscious, Sakhmet. He's been out here for three days already with no food or water. It's a miracle he's still alive."

"It's my fault. If I had been there to keep Horus from taking Atem, then this wouldn't have happened."

"Like you said yourself, that's asking you to fight a god. Something that is nearly impossible. We've seen what they can do. They are gods and we are humans. It is not your fault. Now, we need to head back. I'm not sure the Pharaoh can take much more of this heat."

"Agreed, but first..." She pulled at the canteen she had around her neck, unstopping it and gently pressing it to Atem's mouth, "Atem, please drink. You need to get some water in your system. Wake up," Sakhmet urged, and she tipped the canteen so the water would pour out. It trickled down his chin and onto the ground.

"Pharaoh, please, you must drink something," Mahad said, shaking his king's shoulder. He still didn't stir, so Sakhmet stopped the canteen and hung it around her neck again.

"I guess we should just head back."

"I'm sure he'll wake up when we reach home."

Sakhmet nodded and spurred her horse, Mahad following her lead. They crossed the desert, and after an hour or so, they neared the gates of the city.

As they entered, a loud cry erupted through the streets. Anger was mixed in with the joy of many of the citizens.

"The Pharaoh!"

"They found him!"

"Who cares? Where was he when our homes were attacked!"

"Be quiet! Didn't you know that he was taken away by the attackers? The fact that he's alive is a good thing!"

Conversations like these were shouted all over the city as Sakhmet and Mahad passed through the debris. The other priests rushed to their side as they reached the torn down gates of the palace.

"Pharaoh!" They all shouted, helping him down off the horse while Sakhmet and Mahad dismounted.

"He needs food and water. Now!" Mahad commanded, grabbing the reins of Sakhmet's horse, "Sakhmet, you go with them. I'll take care of our horses."

"Understood," she nodded, joining the rest of the priests. They carried Atem into the palace and took him to his room, ordering the servants to bring them water and a cold rag. When they were brought to the priests, Mahad arrived as well.

"How is he?" He asked, closing the door behind him. The servants gave Sakhmet the rag, pitcher of water, and cup and then left, not wanting to intrude in the matter between all of the priests.

"Well, we don't quite know," Seto responded irritably, "We haven't even checked him over yet."

"He doesn't need this many people around him. That is certain. Only a few of us should take care of him at a time," Isis said. Akhenaden nodded, "Who should take care of him then?"

"Sakhmet will," Seto answered for her, while the priestess looked back at him before placing the cold wet rag on the Pharaoh's forehead.

"Excuse me? Do I even get a say in this?"

"It's your fault he's like this. You should be the one to take care of him."

"I told you, there was nothing I could do! Stop blaming me!" Even though she had already admitted it to Mahad, there was no way she was going to simply back down in front of Seto.

"It's your fault and you know it! Just take the blame and get over it!"

"Cut it out you two!" Karim shouted, smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand and groaning, "Why is it that you two get in fights whenever it's the most inconvenient? Now, Sakhmet, just stay here and take care of Pharaoh. We have other things to worry about."

"More important than taking care of your king?" She asked icily. Mahad shook his head, "No, we mean that we have to take care of the invasion. And... you're not the most experienced in warfare..."

"Because I am younger than all of you, blah, blah, blah. I have heard this speech before, but have you forgotten that I was the best tomb raider in all of Egypt? If it is tactics that you need, then you are talking to the right person. But if you really say that you do not need me then I will take care of the Pharaoh."

"Thank you, Sakhmet, for your cooperation. Let's go," He motioned for the rest of the priests to follow him, and they all left the room, Seto being the last one. Before he left, Sakhmet called out to him, "Oh, Seto."

He glanced behind to see Sakhmet pulling her right eyelid down with her finger and sticking her tongue out. He sneered, "Very mature."

"Like I care."

He left, slamming the door behind him. She turned back to Atem, who was breathing heavily, and it seemed that the rag wasn't quite helping. She sat him up as best she could with her throbbing right arm and poured him a glass of water, trying once again to get him to drink. She faced the same problem: he wouldn't take it; so, she opened his mouth as much as she could and tried again.

"Come now, Atem... if you do not drink more, you will never get better. You must be dying of thirst, so why must I force it down your throat?" Sakhmet sighed, setting down the cup and pouring another glass, doing the same thing over again. It went down easier this time, and so she repeated the process until he wouldn't drink anymore. The priestess laid him back again and dampened the cloth, once more placing it on his forehead.

She pulled up a chair from the corner of the room to his bedside and relaxed for a bit. How she wished he would wake up. Everything seemed so much harder without him. Without their king, they had no real sense of order. Though it always seemed like Mahad or Seto were the head guardians, they were all equal in stature, no matter how hard they tried to please the Pharaoh. So without someone to lead them, it was sure to be their downfall.

A slight groan caught her attention, and she immediately stood up, hoping that Atem was finally waking up. But he didn't open his eyes, nor did he show any other signs of consciousness. Sakhmet sighed and picked up the cup and filled it with water again, leaning the Pharaoh forward and tipping the water down his throat. Once again, she fed him the water until he wouldn't drink.

Hours passed slowly, until there was a knock at the door, and a servant walked in, carrying a two plates of food. She bowed slightly before joining Sakhmet at the bedside.

"Please, ma'am, here is His Majesty's food as well as yours. Master Mahad informed us that you had not eaten before the two of you left, so we made you a plate as well," she handed her the plates and glanced at Atem, "Um... has His Majesty gained consciousness?"

"Not yet."

"I see... well, it's probably best that he eats something. If he did that, then maybe he would wake up," she suggested. Sakhmet nodded and set her plate on the floor. The servant moved to help prop Atem up, when he groaned again and opened his eyes just a little.

His vision was blurred, and all he could see were two figures next to him, so he tried to make out who they were. A sudden gasp came from the figure on the left, and he could hear her squeal, "The Pharaoh's awake! I must tell Master Mahad!" She began to turn around, but the other figure grabbed her before she could leave, "Wait. If you tell him, then the other guardians are sure to rush in here. He cannot have that many people in here at a time."

"B-But... what if they ask me how he's doing?"

"Then lie."

"W-What? I can't lie to the guardians!"

"You cannot do this for the Pharaoh?"

"I... I want to do whatever necessary for him, but... I can't! I can't lie to Master Mahad or Master Seto!"

"Just do not bring it up then. Here," the figure handed the other a blurry object, "I am not hungry. I am sorry you had to make it for me and then watch me not eat it. I have more important things to take care of."

The smaller figure nodded, "...okay. I'll take this back then."

"Thank you."

He watched the figure leave and heard the door close, but his attention was then requested by the one still next to him.

"Atem? How are you feeling?"

He answered, his voice hoarse, "S-Sakhmet? Where am I?"

"You are in your room back at the palace. Mahad and I brought you back."

The events from a few hours ago came in a flurry of memories: Horus, the dogs, Mahad and Sakhmet coming to rescue him. Sakhmet helped him sit up and she took the wet rag off his head.

"We're... back home? This isn't a dream?" He hesitated, wary that it might be an illusion created by the gods.

"That is what I said. You are back home, safe and sound. The guardians are coming up with a strategy to defeat the gods back in the main hall."

"I see. So you were taking care of-" He suddenly began coughing violently, so Sakhmet grabbed the cup of water and handed it to him, "Please, you must drink more. You are extremely dehydrated."

He motioned for the pitcher and when she handed it to him, he completely forgot about the cup and drank nearly half the jug. She grabbed it from him and set it down, "I did not mean for you to drink it all at once!"

"I'm just so thirsty."

She laughed, "Well, that is to be expected since you were stuck in the desert for three days."

"So... it was three days?"

"Did you lose count while you were there?"

"Well... it was hard to tell... it felt longer than three."

"I see."

"So, tell me, Sakhmet, what has happened while I was away?" He asked, motioning for the plate of food as he did so.

"Well..."

* * *

><p>"We can't go after them! Are you insane? We don't even know where they are and yet you are suggesting we send our army out to attack them?"<p>

"What I am saying is that once we learn where they are hiding then we can go and ambush them. Pay attention Seto, and stop listening to every other word." Akhenaden snapped.

"This meeting isn't going very well..." Shada sighed, leaning back in his chair. Mahad pressed his fingers into his temples, "They're never like this... okay, everyone, we're dealing with an enemy that has powers beyond our imaginations. They can disappear and reappear, they can be anywhere, and they hold the power to summon as many monsters as they want. How are we supposed to beat this kind of enemy?"

"You make it sound like we have no hope..." Karim said sullenly. Shada nodded, "He does, but he makes a good point. This is an enemy no one has ever faced before. Fighting the gods themselves? We should be thankful that there are only three of them and not all of them."

"You're forgetting which gods we are fighting though," Seto said, "Hathor, Horus, and Sekhmet. Hathor and Horus might not be as much as a problem, but Sekhmet... she's a different story."

"I agree... with her fighting, who knows what kind of damage will ensue?"

"So, we should strengthen our forces and keep them here, not send them elsewhere," Seto contradicted Akhenaden's theory, "Or else she's surely going to attack us here when we're vulnerable."

"I have to agree with Seto," Karim said, "Gathering our army and preparing them now is our best bet. It just might be the only thing we can do."

"Everyone agreed?" Seto asked, and no one argued. He nodded his head, "Good. Master Akhenaden, you and I shall take care of the troops. Isis, please, try to see what will happen in our future with your Millennium Necklace. Mahad, go and speak with the security and make sure there is no way that the gods can get through. Shada and Karim, go and see if the Pharaoh has awakened. This meeting is now adjourned."

"Right," they all responded, splitting up into different directions.

* * *

><p>"So... we're facing Sekhmet, Hathor, and Horus?" Atem asked, setting down his plate. Sakhmet picked it up gingerly with her right hand, trying to ignore the pain. She nodded, "Yes. I cannot believe it... I actually talked to my namesake... no... <em>threatened<em> my namesake. A goddess... I do not understand why they are doing this..." As she shook her head in disbelief, the plate slipped from her fingers as the pain worsened, and it crashed to the floor, breaking into several pieces.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" She apologized, immediately beginning to pick the mess up and still trying to ignore the agony in her arm. But Atem realized that there was something wrong with her right hand when she avoided using it to pick up the pieces.

"Sakhmet."

"Yes?" She didn't turn around.

"Stop picking that up. Let someone else get it later. It's fine," He said sternly. She sighed and sat down in the chair again, absentmindedly rubbing her hand. Atem grabbed it and saw her cringe and suck in her breath.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Wrong with what?" She asked innocently. He squeezed her hand a little and she immediately bit her lip.

"Your hand."

"There is nothing wrong with it."

"It's bandaged."

"So is the other one."

"You don't usually wear bandages."

"Well, I was burned a little... so those are just to let them heal. But it is no big deal, honest."

He squeezed it a little harder, and Sakhmet couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Ow, ow, ow... _ow_."

"It _is_ a big deal."

"No, it is not."

He unwrapped the bandage and saw the raw and bruised skin. He narrowed his eyes, "This certainly looks like a big deal to me. You said you burned it? Explain _how_."

"Um... well, the city was on fire, so Seto asked me to look for anyone that was trapped. I found a woman and a child and got them out, but some of the flaming rubble fell on my hand."

"And crushed and severely burned it. You forgot to mention that," His expression didn't lighten up one bit. Sakhmet looked off to the side, feeling like he was staring straight into her soul. She ducked her head a little, "It is not _that_ bad."

He put a little pressure on her hand, and she cringed again, "I'm assuming it's broken, and you're saying it's not that bad?"

"I can handle it. I have had worse injuries before."

"That doesn't mean it isn't pleasant. I will make sure it's taken care of."

"Well, no injury is, but so what? Like I said, I can handle it. Please, stop worrying about me and worry about your people, your kingdom. I am trivial compared the them. Now, what do you propose we do?"

"Right, go ahead and change the subject. Would you just listen to me for once?"

"Who, me?"

Atem glared while Sakhmet gave a sheepish grin back, "Then what? We solved my hand issue, now let us focus on the more important things. So, what are you going to do?"


	4. Let's Duel!

"I'm all right, Shada, I promise."

"Are you sure, my king?"

"Of course," Atem said, closing his eyes while Sakhmet wiped his face with a cloth. Shada and Karim still looked at him worriedly, but Sakhmet reassured them, "Do not worry. I will do everything in my care to make sure he stays out of harms way again."

"That's exactly what we're worried about."

"Oh shut up. You are beginning to sound like Seto. Do not tell me you have agreed with him after all."

Karim and Shada stayed silent. It was very quiet in the stone room, the only sounds being the trickle of water as Sakhmet dipped the rag in the basin next to Atem. Finally, the Pharaoh spoke, "Sakhmet, you shouldn't be worried about what they say."

"Oh, I know. Do you think tomb raiding is a social activity?"

"N-No."

"Sorry, that was rude of me."

"It's fine."

Sakhmet wrung the rag over the basin after rinsing it and wiped her own face with it. The night was warm, unusual and unexpected.

"If you are done Sakhmet, the rest of the guardians are waiting for me."

"...Right," she muttered, requesting a servant and relieving herself of the basin and cloth, "Let us go then." She draped one of the long thick strands of hair in front of her ear behind her shoulder and gestured for him to lead the way. The continued silence in the room was awkward, not as simple as it usually was between them. Shada and Karim walked ahead of the Pharaoh; it wasn't usually protocol, but due to the dangers, it was a way of protection. Sakhmet followed mutely behind, her head slightly bowed and eyes low as a sign of subservience.

When they reached the great hall, they met the rest of the guardians, each of which looked just as tired and depressed as the rest. Mahad looked like he was about to fall unconscious from his wobbling back and forth on his feet. Karim had trouble keeping his eyes opened and every five-seconds Isis was yawning.

Atem sat on his throne and sighed, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Sakhmet stood beside him, considering leaning on the side of the throne for support. "Thank you. All of you. I appreciate all of your hard work," he said, yawning, "Tell me, what is the status of the time being."

Seto stepped forward, "Pharaoh, I have heard news that Hathor was spotted near the outskirts of the city to the West. If we find her, we can track down Horus and Sekhmet as well."

"Our soldiers have reached the point of exhaustion. There is no one left to go out and search for the goddess," Akhenaden reminded him, rubbing his eye, "If finding her is a good idea, who do you suggest we dispatch?"

Seto glanced around the room, his eyes locking on his target as he said, "Sakhmet could do it."

The priestess ground her bottom jaw and glared at him, instigating her imagination to come up with as many ways to kill him as possible. Atem shook his head, "I need her here. I don't think there's anyone left to send out. We ought to make a plan and begin once we've all gotten a good night's rest."

"Then what is the plan?" Seto challenged. Isis countered, "It's simple. Once our troops are well rested, they can go out and search in the areas of the sightings and corner the gods."

"And what happens when we capture them?"

"We command them to explain their reasoning for doing this."

"Right, and we're just supposed to tell gods what to do. Brilliant idea. Let's go talk to the Nile and tell it to form a lake too. I'm sure it will do that for us if we _tell _it to."

"Then what's your idea, Seto? If you're so cynical about everyone else's, then please, tell us what genius plan you've come up with," Mahad snapped, growing increasingly lethargic as the meeting continued. They continued to argue, all of them. The burden of sleepless nights was heavy on them all.

Sakhmet leaned over and whispered to the Pharaoh, "I know it is not my place to speak in these meetings, but I suggest we sleep and _then_ make a plan. Who knows when they will get along at this rate. We are all tired and are falling asleep on our feet. You still need time to recover and even you are growing tired. I can see it in your face. Let us all go to bed."

He nodded and said as loudly as he could, "Enough. We are getting nowhere. This meeting is dismissed until all six guardians as well as Sakhmet and I have received enough sleep. Sleep, and then we will decide on a plan. Any objections?"

No one said anything against it. In fact, after he said that, almost everyone immediately began walking toward the halls to their rooms. Sakhmet's job was yet to be done though. "Let us go, then, Atem. You need sleep too."

"What time is it?"

"About evening. Not to ask for sympathy, but some of us have not slept since the night before you were captured."

"I see. Then this was necessary. Alright, let's go. You need more sleep than I do."

"My lords, the Pharaoh... I'm sorry, but he was taken from me." Horus and the two other gods kneeled in front of the seeping darkness. There was silence. The two men in the shadows merely looked at each other and the one on the right smirked. Finally, the man on the right spoke, "What does it matter? As long as we keep the chaos going in the kingdom, he'll collapse. We've got you three, don't we?"

The other man addressed Hathor, "You did steal them, didn't you?"

"Of course." Hathor held out three miniaturized tablets. After she put them in a straight line along the side wall like dominoes, she waved her hand over them and they expanded to their normal size.

"Perfect. The Pharaoh and those ridiculous guardians will never see this coming. Their own monsters fighting against them!" He handed the each of them diadankhs.

Sekhmet frowned, "What about me? Don't I get to do something? I've been sitting here for ages!"

"It's only been about a few hours you impatient little puppet. Why don't you wait for orders like everyone else? Besides, we'll have a special job for you soon."

The man on the right looked at his colleague, "Why don't we give her a job? After all, like I said before, we have to keep the chaos going. We can't give them a chance to rest. Sekhmet's perfect at destroying things, aren't you?" He sniggered at the goddess.

"That, my friend, is an excellent idea."

* * *

><p>"My king! Wake up! Pharaoh!" Sakhmet shook Atem awake, considering splashing water on his face. They were all tired. It was no surprise it would take him so long to wake up. But before she could grab the pitcher and pour it on him, he groaned and opened his eyes, "What is it, Sakhmet?"<p>

"They-the gods-I do not-She is-!"

"Slow down, Sakhmet. Take a deep breath," he commanded, and she did so, "Now, tell me again. Slowly."

"Sekhmet is attacking the city! Half of it is on fire again and shadow creatures are flying all over the place causing havoc! The city is burning and people are being murdered left and right!"

"Understood. Go wake Mahad and the others... and don't do anything bad to Seto," he warned her, "Then come to the throne room and we'll discuss things there."

"Atem, we do not have time for formalities! If we do not do something now, the city will be destroyed!"

"Sakhmet, listen to me! I cannot just send you out there alone! We need the others! Now, do as I said and wake them up!"

"But-"

"SAKHMET! You will do as you are told, do you understand? As the Pharaoh, I command you to wake them up!"

She froze, taken aback by his tone. He had never spoken to her like that. Not ever. Her lips curled down into a scowl as she bit her lip and she spun around, leaving the room to wake the others. Atem sighed when she left and scratched the back of his head. But he quickly got over what he said and got dressed, fearing the worst of his kingdom.

Sakhmet, on the other hand, was confused. How she wanted to do something for herself for once. If she went out there and took care of things herself, she would be completely independent again. She longed for the days she only had to take care of herself. However, now that she was bound to loyally obey Atem and the other guardians, she had no choice but to follow his orders unless she wanted to be hunted down like a dog. She had already made her decision years ago, but the independency had not faded. Maybe that was why she hated it when Seto blamed her for everything. She didn't want to be responsible for someone else; after all, up until her contract with Aknamkanon, she only helped herself.

"Argh, I hate this!" She punched the stone wall next to her in frustration, "Why are things so difficult now? If I was still a tomb raider, I know exactly what I would do! But ever since I came here I am split on two sides! What is wrong with me! My nature is telling me to go out there and take care of things now, but my conscience is telling me to do what Atem said. And by standing here and fighting with myself, I am only prolonging the help the citizens need right now!" She stood there for what seemed like forever. Finally, she raised her diadankh and summoned Sorcerer of Black Magic and Divine Grace-Northwemko. "I will help you two soon, but for now, go out and destroy as many shadow creatures as you can! Please, the fate of this city depends on you two right now!"

They nodded and flew off in separate directions while Sakhmet went to Mahad's room. After she woke him and informed him of the situation, she went to Karim's, then to Isis', and so on and so forth. She followed them to the throne room, secretly cursing the formalities they had to go through.

Atem was waiting for them, not even bothering to sit in his throne. He merely stood on the steps impatiently while the rest of them filed into the room. "Good, you all are here. Sakhmet, did you tell them what's going on?"

She nodded silently, returning to his side obediently. He nodded, "Alright then. Seto and Shada, you two gather the troops and take down as many monsters as you can. Isis, Akhenaden, you two try to get the people out of the city and somewhere safe. The Valley of Kings, the Nile, anywhere, I don't care. Just get them there unharmed. Mahad and Karim, you two will come with me to find the gods and stop them from ravaging the city. If you can capture them, then find out as much information as you can."

"Yes, my king." They all bowed with their left feet forward and dispersed into their groups, leaving the throne room. Sakhmet looked at Atem warily and asked quietly, "Am I not to receive a job?"

"You will come with me to search for the gods."

"You mean goddess."

"What?" He asked. She nodded, "It is only Sekhmet out there. Her specialty is destruction, is it not?"

He sucked in a deep breath and sighed, "So what do you want to do?"

"Me?"

"She's your namesake. I think of all people, you should get a chance to capture her."

"Tch, you can take her. I do not even want to see her face. She shames me with her destruction."

"I'm sure she could say the same thing for you. You're not the most bloodthirsty person around, you know. She probably always expected her namesake to be a lot like her."

She snorted, but descended the stairs, "If we do not hurry, more destruction will fall upon your city, Atem. We should help your guardians, no?"

"Agreed." He followed her out of the throne room and down the stairs to the lower level. Once in the grand hall, they were greeted by some servants who informed them that their horses were ready outside. They nodded and exited the hall, immediately taking the reigns of their individual horses and mounting them.

"Let's go, Sakhmet!" Atem ordered, riding off towards the city. Sakhmet steered Nedjem in the right direction and spurred her on, "Pyrh! Pyrh!" The horse reared and bolted off, following the other horse and rider.

The destruction of the city immense. The buildings were reduced to nothing more than piles of stones with wooden doors on fire. Bodies lay under rubble and over the streets. It was a massacre.

"H-help... please..." A voice weakly cried out from under one of the houses. "Atem, someone is still in there!" She said, halting Nedjem and clambering off her back clumsily. She began tearing at the stones to free the buried man, but Atem took over, "You've already damaged one hand, there's no need for you to injure the other. Let me do this."

"But, my king, that is why I am here. It is to-"

"HELP!" The cry crew louder and more pained. She groaned and began pulling at the heavy boulders, "We do not have time for this Atem!" He couldn't help but agree with her, so he began clawing at the rubble alongside her. Eventually they revealed a small cavity in the rock, the only way someone would have managed to survive. A man was crouched inside there, his leg crushed by some of the collapsing stone.

Sakhmet crawled inside and began freeing his leg while Atem made the opening wider. Once the man's leg was free, Sakhmet and Atem hoisted him out and together they put him on Atem's horse. Sakhmet held him still while the young Pharaoh mounted Nofre-Ari again. "I'm going to take him outside the city where Isis and Akhenaden can care for him. You look for any more survivors."

"But what about-" but it was too late. He had already galloped off. "...Sekhmet..." She sighed, finishing her sentence. She clambered onto Nedjem and bolted around the corner, looking for others that might still be alive. No sign of anyone yet.

"Hey, Sakhmet, over here!" A voice called to her, and an enormous flaming archway collapsed just as she passed under it. Fire rose on all sides. Nedjem was growing nervous, pawing the ground and pacing back and forth while Sakhmet tried to keep her under control. "Who is there!" She called out, "Answer me!"

From out of the flames, the familiar lion head appeared, and Sekhmet rose from the shadows, "Hey there, namesake," she spat, "I've been waiting for you to get away from Pharaoh. It's about time you two separated. Now I can have some fun!" She grinned, "Horus, Hathor!" The other two jumped out of the flames, "What?"

"Go take care of the other guardians! See to it that they never see their precious city again!" They nodded and disappeared, the fire thickening.

"Sekhmet! Stop this!" Sakhmet yelled, Nedjem rearing. She yanked on the reigns, panicking to control her horse. When she was finally standing on all four legs again, Sakhmet looked up to see the goddess charging at her, her hand outstretched. She grabbed Sakhmet's face and threw her to the ground, maniacally laughing. The ground was unforgiving as the priestess' back made a full impact.

"How long have I been waiting to do this?" Sekhmet chuckled, grabbing the neck of Sakhmet's dress and picking her up. "Sakhmet!" Another voice rose over the crackling of burning rubble and Atem on Nofre-Ari leapt over the flames. His diadankh was activated, but he had not yet summoned a monster yet.

Sekhmet snarled, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be outside the city!"

"Isis took care of the man for me. I came back when I saw Horus and Hathor over the city. And what do you know? You're here. Let go of Sakhmet."

"Now what on earth makes you think I'll do that?"

"Fine. I summon Sli-"

"No, no, I think not. If you want your precious little priestess alive when this is over, I wouldn't do that," she mounted Nedjem and dragged Sakhmet onto the horse's back in front of her. Sakhmet kicked and fought, but it was difficult without injuring the horse. She bit her captor's hand, but Sekhmet didn't seem to notice. After forcing Sakhmet onto her own horse and holding onto her by the hair this time, Sekhmet spurred Nedjem on and flew past Atem.

"Come on, Pharaoh! You do want her back, don't you?" She cackled, jumping over the flames. Atem screamed, "No! Sakhmet!" He could no longer see them, but he blindly dashed over the fire and through the smoke. He caught sight of them turning a corner on his left. They disappeared quickly, but he spurred Nofre-Ari on to follow them.

He chased them up and down streets, left and right, all over the city until they broke through and ran out into the desert. Dust and packs of hard dirt flew behind them as their horses trampled the ground, sprinting as fast as their bodies could carry them across the desert.

"Atem!" Sakhmet yelled, struggling to grab hold of the reigns while Sekhmet held her back and forced the horse to go faster. Eventually, Sakhmet was causing her so much trouble that she let her go and shoved her to the left. "Gah!" Sakhmet yelled as she was violently thrown from the horses back and hit the sand heavily. She rolled several times, and when she had finally stopped moving, she lay there on her back completely immobile. She coughed up sand a few times, but her body ached too much to move.

"No!" Atem yelled, wrenching back the reigns and slowing to a stop only a few feet from her; but Sekhmet beat him to her. She jumped off the horse and grabbed Sakhmet's hair at the base of her neck, jerking her up to a kneeling position. "Alright, Pharaoh. Why don't we settle things the traditional way? With a shadow game! Hm?"

He eyed her warily, but the goddess smirked, knowing she had left out the most important part. Sekhmet knew he'd agree, whether he wanted to or not. She held up Sakhmet, who whimpered softly.

When the goddess held out her hand, a small glass cube formed, spinning on an axis. She threw it up into the air and it expanded, floating in the air above them. "What's that for?" Atem questioned, but Sekhmet merely laughed before disappearing, fading away as if she was only a hallucination. Sakhmet fell forward and convulsed slightly, making small choking noises. Atem assumed she had only gotten a mouthful of sand, but when he clambered down from Nofre-Ari, she started laughing. It wasn't her laugh. Instead, it was twisted and choking.

She got to her feet and asked, "Ready to play that game, Pharaoh?"

"W-What! Sakhmet, what are you-?"

She laughed again, "If you're looking for your priestess, take a look up there!" She pointed to the glass cube above their heads, a twisted smile on her face. "No, Sakhmet!" Trapped in the cubic cage was the soul of Sakhmet, and it didn't look like she could hear him. She was beating her fists soundlessly against the glass, panicking from her situation.

"Atem!"


End file.
